Not all family-owned-and-operated businesses are simply passed down from one generation to the next: some keep adding new layers of relatives, while maintaining the established ones. Given the right conditions - love, commitment, trust, flexibility - multi-generational family businesses can thrive like trees, ever growing new buds and leaves.

For diners with Consiglio's, the mere mention of the name sets taste buds quivering.

It was in 1938 that Italian immigrants Salvatore and Annunziata Consiglio opened The Big Apple on Wooster Street in New Haven. Neighbors, laborers and dock workers from Long Wharf flocked there to savor Annunziata's southern Italian dishes. The couple's nine children were very much part of the scene.

In the 60's, renames Consiglio's, the restaurant moved across the street. When Annunziata's sons and daughters took over in the 70's, they did some remodeling and expanded the menu. Now in the hands of the third generation, Consiglio's is definitely upscale. Gourmet dishes like veal medallions sautéed with grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted red peppers vie with old favorites like lasagna and home-made cavatelli. The décor is tasteful, with comfortable seating for 80. A staff of 20 serves an average of 50 lunches and 150 dinners daily. But Consiglio's is still very much a family affair, and it retains a pleasant, among-friends feel.

A recent visitor found co-managers Laura and Trish in the cozy bar conferring about a new wine list. Three-week-old Matthew nestled in Trisha's arms. Five years ago the sisters took the reins from their father, Pat Consiglio.

"The girls are a little tough to work for," Pat says with a grin. "They won't let me answer the phone because they say I mess things up." Still bartending after 35 years, it's a rare drink that Pat, son of Salvatore and Annunziata, can't mix from memory. The big change in his domain has been a huge increase in wine orders. "People see on t.v. that it's healthy," he says. Whiskey sours and screwdrivers are holding their own, he adds, and maybe martinis are making a comeback.

Pat's youngest sister, Marie, who has worked in the restaurant since she was eight years old, now creates the desserts and appetizers. Their sister Annie, a sturdy 86, serves as luncheon hostess.

Laura and Trish work opposite shifts, overseeing the entire operation - supplies, work schedules, reservations, menu changes. They even jump in as cook, waitress or hostess if need be. "While the customers are enjoying their meals, more often than not, we grab a bite standing up," Trish said.

The best part about a family business, they agree, is that you can always count on one another. Says Laura, "Our aunts and uncles didn't get paid much, but there was never any question about their not coming to work. It was their life, and the restaurant was going to endure whether they were making money or not. Actually, the people we hire are really nice, and they become part of the family too."

From the time she was very young, Laura had a vision of what a good restaurant could be. One of her innovations is the outdoor patio, which is opening this month.

Despite the inevitable pressures in running a restaurant, the sisters both love it. It's exciting, they say Everyday is different. Some customers have been coming for years. And then there's the fun serving celebrities like Ted Kennedy, Sally Struthers and Roddy McDowell. Last week, Meryl Streep dropped in.

"We have a policy of letting celebrities alone," Laura said. "Once I asked David Cassidy for an autograph. I broke a plate right at his feet!"

As for the next generation? Laura's 12-year-old daughter, who sometimes helps out, wants to be a lawyer; and her brother, age 10, has his heart set on hockey stardom. So perhaps the future of Consiglio's lies with three-week-old Matthew, who, according to mother Trisha, already has an enormous interest in fine food.